Door-releasing mechanism.



T. B. RANKIN. DOOR RBLEASING MBGEANISM. APPLICATION Imm 1320.28, 1909.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

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T. B. RANKIN. DooR RELEASING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FAILED DEO. 28, 1909. Patented Aug 2,

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T. B. RANKIN.- Doon RELBASING MEGHANISM.

APPLIoATIoN FILED mxo. 2s, 1909. 966,241. I Patena-Aug.2,191o.

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T. B. RANKIN. D003 RELBASING MBGHANISM.

. APPLIUATION FILED DBU. 28, 1909. x Patented Aug. 2 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. I

THOMAS BRAXTON RANKIN, OF ITAWAMBA COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.

DOOR-RELEASING' MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed December 28, 1909. Serial No. 535,375.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BRAXTON RANKIN, a native citizen of theUnited States. residing on Nettleton Rural Route, in the county ofItawamba and State of Mississippi, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Door-Releasing Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to door openers, and particularly to one adaptedfor use upon the doors of a barn or the like, means being employedwhereby the doors of the barn can be automatically thrown open at thetime of a re to permit the escape of live stock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of alarmoperable auto-- matically upon opening of the doors.

The above mentioned and other objects are attained by the construction,combinations and arrangements of parts, as disclosed on the drawings,set forth in this specication, and particularly pointed out gin theappended claims.

In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the severalviews:-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved door openersho-wing it applied to a barn or similar structure whose walls areprovided with swinging doors or closures. Fig. 2 is a section takenvertically on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation ofthe trip shaft. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of one of the latchreleasing shafts. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the said trip shafttaken at right angles to Fig. 4 and showing one of the yieldablesupports for the shaft. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing themanner in which the sections o-f the shaft are coupled to each other.Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a4sectional elevation of a portion of one of the door hinges. Fig. 9 is asectional elevation of the said hinge taken at right angles to thatshown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of one of the latchmembers. Fig. 11 is a sectional elevation of the alarm. Fig. 12 is asectional elevation of a slightly modified form of door. Fig. 13 is adiagrammatic View of a slightly modified form of alarm. Fig. 14 is adiagrammatic view of the bell actuating member of the alarm.

,In Figs. land 2 of the drawings, I show a barn, stable or similarinclosure, the side walls 1 each being provided with a plurality ofhinged or swinging doors 2, the hinges being disposed vertically so thatthe doors can open from the sides of the walls. The doors can bearranged at any suitable points in the walls but are preferably locatedat points adjoining the stalls in which the live stock is stationed.Longitudinally extending squared shafts 3 are mounted within theinclosure at points slightly above the door openings. These shafts arearranged in parallel relation with the side walls 1 and each of suchshafts is formed from a plurality of short sections whose meeting endsare joined by coupling members 4f, such screws being carried by thecoupling members to engage the said shaft sections to hold themoperatively positioned in the coupling members. These shafts have theirbearing members revolubly mounted in the partitions .5 and' in the endwalls 6 of the inclosure. Each shaft is provided with a plurality ofhorizontally extending fingers 7, each being positioned adjacent to oneof the end walls. The shafts are engaged by flat leaf springs or similarequivalent elastic elements 8 which exert their tension to hold thefingers 7 normally in their horizontal positions.

A trip shaft 9 is journaled in the walls of the inclosure and isprovided with trip ngers 10 which Vare disposed immediately aboveco-engaging fingers 11 upon the shafts 3. When the shaft 9 is revolvedin one direction the trip fingers 10 will be engaged with the ngers l1to revolve the shafts 3 against the tension of the springs 8. The shaft9 has extending therefrom a crank arm 12 to which is secured one end ofa Hexible connection 13 or equivalent operating cord or the like. Thiscord or connection is engaged with an antifriction roller 14 and theouter end is attached suitably to an operating lever 15. This lever maybe located at any suitable point but it is preferably stationed in ahouse near to the barn or inclosure. Should the occupant of the housedetect the odor of smoke or should he discover that the barn is on firehe could conveniently operate the lever 15 to actuate the shaft 9 for apurpose to be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

The side walls 1 of the inclosure or barn carry casings 1G which arearranged immediately above the door opening. Each easing is providedwith a vertically sliding bolt 17 upon=Which iis for1ned^afreduced-=stem le. Each casing is provided with an expansion sprlng 19 whichsurroundsthe stem 18 and exerts its tension against the bolt Ytoinormally hold it engaged'fwvith 'its` mounted upon the shafts'torotate"there'1 With' 'and the* outerendsof the said dogs are formedinto `Wings24Whichare normally' positioned beneath shoulders 25ctthe"bolts` 175 Theoute'rlends ofthe" lips"l 21 areidis' posed'bene'athisho'ulders' 26 upon 'the' said bolts.'M Whenthe shaftsi arerotated intheV direction'of 'the arrow shown i'irFig.' 10 the' lugs'22v'vrllk befmoved' into such engagement With the lips`21 to imparttheretorocking movement which i'nvement'vi'll be imparted' to thefslid'ingboltstormove them out ofen# gagement with 'their keepers Q0.

Each hinged door is'piovided'with a plu! rality of eye members' 27 whicharearranged" in lsuperii'npo'sed relation asl shown, thelow'i" ermost`member 'being provided i with a revL oluble vroller-"28 Which'isslidableupon fan" angularly disposed track-29'npon the upper inclinedsurfaceV of a postBO. Each postis formedffivith a standard" 31 Witlrwhich the eye;members'27am-engaged. The'construc:

tion:just-"described'isA such 'that' when Ythe latch members ofth'e'doo'rs are moved'into'.' theirireleas'edk posrtionsv'thesard'doors`W1ll be free for' 4'movement'into thelropen posi#v tionsI z j Asuit-able" number Vof :r'evoluble :pulleys-"32 arel monntedadjac'ent tothe top'of thehinclosureor stable; the" saidpulleysbeing "ar-l ranged4preferabljgin a zigfzagimanner at the sides"'oi""the centerffof ft-hefsaid stable.-v Inflanirnablef'leribl'e cords "33 are passed over"the'pulleys andl their-terminal ends nare securedto the elongatedbails"34of Weights 35i l Thel'arins of the bails straddle therrgers l7uponthe'shafts 3, the said vfingers be# ing'4 normallydisposedvinterrnediate the ends otthesaid arms. In' case'the*inflammable4 cords's'ho'u-ld 'take frire" it Will obviously'apipear'Y that the 'Weights 35 lvvill be 'free to fall, their" Weight'against Vtheingers 7 being'sufci'entl'to revolve the shafts 3.

Inz lieu'of thefpostfBO'and 'rollers 28 de# scrbe'd in the vlpreferred*-fornr o :fl myv i'nven; tion the doors lmay be hinged Jat their -botitoms to the side Walls of the incl'osure;J For exampletheUdoor 3G shown`inv Fig.l 12,

has Aits lower end hinged as shown at 37,` the" upperen'dI of 4the's'aidAdoor being free for Y swinging movement outwardly of Ythe"'s1del Wall38.'^- Th'ef "door is' provided `withl a keeper 39 'ivhich'r'is ladaptedto'be 'engaged normally" by'a latch' 40; :A spring-41 1s locatedadjwCent-reihe door and is engaged therewith 1 so* thatfwhen fth'e latchm'i'nberj is released from its engaging keeper the door can beautomaticallythrown open. j

YAn alarm is used in connection With the eleme'ntoffthe ap Jaratu'sherein disclos'ed" and preferably (em odies a revoluble drum 42 around'which is Wo'und a cable 43. This cable has one end secured to the drumand its other end carriesa Weight 44.I The'drnm l75 is provided at'oneend With" a ratchet iWleel-y 45"whichis engaged by' a pivoted do'g 46`t'o"'" normallyL 'hold the 'drin against "frotatinljj Adj acent to 'the'Vratchet Wheel, the f drumis ff provided" "With; an "actuating elementi'*"-47180 Wliichis 'pi'.eferably'in" the' forni 'of' a 'dis`k"" Whoseperipheral edge p ortion is provided"V with" a plu'r'aility' ofyoutwardly VVA'extending pins' 48 'which are 'arranged kin 'stag'geredre? lati'oirto 'each other. A "bracket` 49""1`s "101'85 cated adjacentto"tlie"dri"nn` andsupports'a pivoted sha'ftf50 'from' which issuspended" 'alY bell 51."l The sh`aft'50 has"one"ofits'endst' extendedoutwardly and upwardly fro'r'rfthe bracket vto form a 'crank'52"vvhichfjis'en'- 90 gage'dwitlrone' end" of a men'i'berj; -Th'i's'element is muntedfor'horizontal .pivot;l"" movement` upon' the arm" '54'of thbracket` 49.' Oneend of 'the' member 4is. provided tvith'` l atriangular'head"55"Which'fis located' irnf'f95 Y meliat'ely above the*peripheral portioniofff' theactuating element '47;' its4`inclined'side'? faces being disposed jinthe path'bf-mve'-f ment'ofthelpins The dog'46"'i"s pivoted f upon a support 56 :upon which 'ismount'e'da' v100 spring 57 forfholding' the l'dog 'normally Aven:` 1

gaged with' the ratchet' Wheel 45'; The"'said"-" dog46'is inthei'formofan anglerleverl'and' onel arm 'thereof is connected tio one'endiof'a connection 58, the other" 'end of the'said Coni 105 nectionbeing. ,operatively A connected "Witlr'" one "of Vthe shafts 3. Inthismanner when" the shaft is revolved the dog`46 Willbe 'actu-ffated'andmoved out `ofenga'gem'ent Withl't'h'e ratchet Wheel 45'allowing' the weight'to V110 descend, thus causing" thedruin42torevolveV to impart to the'actuating element k47 the de# siredrotarymovement. Rotation of' thesaid actuating element Lcauses 'itspins48" to "engage the head 55 of 'theelement' 53 to impart' "115 to 'thelatter' `rocking movement 'therebyos-'tj cillating the'arm' 52y androcking the""sh a't`lf 50. The-ha`1`nmer`59 lof the Abell" is ofthe jusual type and uponmovement' of' theshaftz moved against the bellYtoiS'ound'the samer- InTj the form' of the-alarm vshownvll in 135ehorizontal shaft 60 ismou'nt'ed to rock inbrackets 61. The shaft isprovided atne i endv -With a bell '62 and atf'the other end" With 125 atriangular' head-V63.' The headds 'Simi-'1* lar to the head "55 Ain thepreferred @formofi my-inventionlexcepting that it is arrangedifvertically and its inclined faces extend dov'vnf* are disposed in thepath of movement of the pins 64 of an actuating element 65.

I claim l. In an apparatus of the class described, an inclosure having aplurality of swinging doors, keepers carried by the said doors, latchmembers located adjacent to the doors and adapted to be normally engagedWith the said keepers to hold the doors in their closed positions, arock shaft located Within the inelosure, a trip shaft, means upon thesaid trip shaft adapted to actuate the said rock shaft, and means foractuating the latch members to move them out of engagement 15 with thekeepers upon the said doors.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

an inclosure having a swinging door, a latch member for normally holdingthe door in its closed position, a rock shaft, connections between thesaid rock shaft and the latch member, a trip finger extending from thesaid rock shaft, a trip shaft, and a trip finger extending from the saidtrip shaft and adapted for engagement With the trip finger upon the saidrock shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS BRAXTON RANKIN.

Witnesses:

IV. L. CONWILL, J. W. RAINES.

